New York's Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice announced that a sweep targeting county residents who steal undeserved workers' compensation and insurance benefits has resulted in the arrest of six people involved in fraud.
The first of the six persons accused is Alma Coles, 49, of Freeport. Coles allegedly deposited workers' compensation benefit checks that belonged to her deceased father into accounts she controlled. Her father died in September 2009, but Coles continued to sign her father's name on seven checks and deposited a total of $3,776 into her daughter's money market account from October 2009 to January 2010. She is charged with grand larceny in the third degree, insurance fraud in the third degree, criminal possession of a forged instrument and falsifying business records. She faces up to seven years if convicted.
Forty-nine-year-old Anthony DiBenedetto, of Massapequa, NY sustained an injury to his neck in 2002 while delivering milk for Beyer Farms and was awarded workers' compensation benefits of $400 per week. An investigation, however, revealed that DiBenedetto was the owner of Legal Limousines, Inc. of Lindenhurst, and on two occasions accepted cash deposits from DA undercover investigators for limousine services while collecting benefits. In total, DiBenedetto fraudulently collected $30,185 in workers' compensation benefits from his insurance carrier and $140,777 in Social Security disability benefits. He is charged with grand larceny in the second degree, grand larceny in the third degree, insurance fraud in the third degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, falsifying business records in the first degree, and penalties for fraudulent acts. He faces up to 15 years if convicted.
Ava Donovan, 61, of Levittown injured her back in 1994 while working as a data entry clerk and was awarded workers compensation benefits of $215 per week. An investigation revealed that in 2006 she applied for work as a babysitter with Creative Rent-a-Sitter, Inc., and was hired as a baby sitter earning $525 a week. She fraudulently collected $33,755 in benefits and is charged with grand larceny in the third degree, insurance fraud in the third degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, falsifying business records in the first degree, and penalties for fraudulent acts. If convicted, she faces up to seven years.
Christopher Lent, 43, of Glen Cove injured his thumb while working as an HVAC engineer for MTA New York City Transit in October of 2008. Lent was cleared to return to work in March of 2009, but in September of 2009 he injured his shoulder. Lent was cleared to return to work for restricted duty, but New York City Transit had no available positions to fill. An investigation revealed that he was then employed by North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital in January 2008. Payroll records reflect that the hospital paid him a total of $69,157. Lent failed to notify the NYC Transit of his return to work and fraudulently collected $30,646 in benefits. He was charged with grand larceny in the third degree, insurance fraud in the third degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and penalties for fraudulent acts. He faces up to seven years if convicted.
Jennifer McGill, 30, of Farmingdale submitted a claim to Nassau County in March 2009 for damage done to her front lawn by a county snow plow. On April 13, 2010 she submitted another claim totaling $597.60 for the same damage to her home. This time, however, the invoices she submitted were altered. She is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, offering a false instrument for filing in the first degree, and attempted petty larceny. She faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
Brent Tiringer, 40, of Selden allegedly submitted two false insurance certificates to a contractor claiming he had workers' compensation insurance. A routine audit discovered the fraud, and as a result of the investigation the contractor would be billed $4,000 for hiring an uninsured contractor. He is charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument in the second degree, falsifying business records, and penalties for fraudulent acts. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted.
With a total of over $239,000 in taxpayer money stolen, the six offenders could face steep sentences for their dishonesty.
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